A perspective on mineral standards

History has shown that the consumption of a balanced diet in adequate amounts is consistent with survival of mankind. This fact demonstrates that for each essential nutrient there is not one, but a range of safe and adequate intakes. In the past, the determination of the two endpoints of that range, one bordering on deficiency, the other on toxicity, has been sought independently by nutritionists and toxicologists. Refinements of the criteria of adequacy and safety during the past few decades has tended to raise estimates of requirements and to reduce those of toxicity, narrowing and in some cases, eliminating the range of safe and adequate intakes. The Herndon Conference in 1992 suggested some common principles, potentially useful to establish both endpoints of the ranges of safe and adequate intakes for essential trace elements. Some perspectives of implementing these are discussed.